


Birthday Surprises (Nothing Like 'Em)

by Siver



Category: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: Fluff, Multi, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-08-24 09:20:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16637192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/pseuds/Siver
Summary: What better way to spend his birthday than with his loved ones?





	Birthday Surprises (Nothing Like 'Em)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [azurefishnets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/azurefishnets/gifts).



Cabanela hummed to himself as he approached Jowd and Alma’s home. The day had shaped up excellently, starting from the morning when he discovered the roses and two cards on his desk:

The roses along with one card came from Alma—a tradition now and one he’d come to hold dear. The second card came from Lynne with her apologies for missing his Birthday, but she was going to bring him back something great from her trip, he’d see. He’d happily set up both cards at one corner of his desk and the rest of the day passed by productively and satisfactorily with another closed case.

Spending dinner and the night with his favourite people in the world would round the day off to perfection. He spun into the house and was greeted by Missile bounding in, sliding into a tidy twirl and finishing with an unmistakeable puppy bow accompanied by a single bark.

Cabanela knelt to scratch his ears. “Lookin’ gooood!”

Missile’s tail wagged furiously and Cabanela gave him another pat before a meow caught his attention.

“Eeevenin’ kitten.”

Sissel sat at the end of the hall and Cabanela was certain the cat was managing to radiate amusement. So be it; _he_ appreciated Missile’s ever growing skills. Still, he had Sissel to thank in part for today’s success as well.

“That was a reaaal handy tip baby,” he directed at Sissel. “Guessin’ you already know that.”

Sissel bobbed his head and gave a short meow that had come to mean a yes, among the various ways they’d set up between them for Sissel to get his points across.

“Cabanela!” Alma entered the hall and swept forward to give him a hug and a kiss. “Happy Birthday! Jowd and Kamila are in the living room. I just had to check on dinner and of course we had to let Missile here have his moment.”

“And a faaantastic moment it was baby!”

Missile gave a happy yip and followed Cabanela and Alma as they and Sissel proceeded to the living room.

“There you are,” Jowd said from the couch.

Kamila sat in the armchair and waved. “Happy Birthday!”

Missile bounced over to Kamila and jumped into her lap while Sissel took his customary place on the couch near Jowd’s head. Cabanela slung himself onto the couch and settled comfortably beside Jowd.  

“I hear you had a resounding success today,” Jowd said. “With only a minimal amount of chaos.”

“If by minimal you mean none,” Cabanela replied.

Jowd chuckled. “Not what I heard.”

Cabanela shot Sissel a look. “Is there something you’re not tellin’ me, kiiitten?”

Sissel only settled more deeply into a perfectly innocent cat loaf. _Not foolin’ anyone here._

“Nothing to worry about anymore,” Jowd said. “After all, nothing really happened now, did it?”

Sissel meowed in another affirmation. Cabanela suppressed a sigh. Thinking back, the place they found their target had seemed more chaotic than one might expect, but there was hardly time to judge on interior décor. He should have known Sissel had more than just a tip. Ah well, all’s well that ends well. Clearly there were no… lasting effects, or Jowd would be a lot more concerned.

Two wrapped gifts on the coffee table drew his attention away from his thoughts on the day.

“Go on,” Alma prompted as she slid in beside him. “It’s time for celebrations, not chewing over more work,” she teased.

The first gift was from both Jowd and Alma—an album he’d been missing from his collection and the second was from Alma, soft and neatly wrapped.

He unwrapped it revealing a knit red scarf. He unfolded it with an appreciative eye; it wasn’t as long as his other one, but was thicker and softer. It was clearly well-crafted; her work got better and better.

“For when it gets colder,” Alma said.

“Assuming it’s used as intended,” Jowd added.

“Warm and soooft,” Cabanela said happily, ignoring that particular comment. “Thank you baby!”

He folded it back up neatly and ran a hand over the fabric before setting it on the table with the album.

Alma looked toward Kamila who was still quietly ensconced in the armchair, her fingers buried in Missile’s fur.

“Kamila, are you going to give it to him?” Alma asked gently.

“Okay…”

Cabanela gave her a curious look as she rose hesitantly from the chair and approached, followed by Missile. She shuffled her feet, eyes cast down. Missile bumped against her legs, his tail wagging harder than ever as if to spur her on. Sissel joined with a soft meow. Still not looking directly at him, she pushed a small wrapped box toward him.

“Grampa’s been helping me, but I made that one myself… Happy Birthday, Uncle.”

Cabanela curiously unwrapped and opened the box to find a small wooden figure of a dog. He turned it in his hands, appreciating it from all angles and feeling the smoothed wood under his fingers. It was chunky in some places and perhaps a little lopsided in others, but no less beautiful in his eyes for it. He beamed, already thinking ahead to its place of honour on his desk.

Sly old bird, he thought. He knew she regularly visited him at the junkyard, but he never suspected this. While, for better or worse, _she_ was learning to rival her father in secret keeping. He had no idea she’d grown interested in such things, though it came as no surprise.

“Loook at this,” he crooned. “It’s adorable!”

Kamila finally looked up with a slow spreading smile. “Really? You really like it?”

He leaned over to gently rest it on the scarf, so he could pull her into a tight hug.  “I love it.”

Once he released her she stepped back and clapped her hands together. “I’m so happy!”

“I told you, you had nothing to worry about,” Alma said with an affectionate smile. She rose from the couch, giving Cabanela a quick kiss on the cheek as she did so. “The lasagne should be almost finished. Kamila, can you please come help me set the table?”

“Okay!”

They left the room together, but not before Cabanela caught the exchanged look with Jowd. Now what could that be? He wasn’t left in suspense for long.

Jowd also stood, left and shortly returned with another small white leather case.

“One last thing,” he said, passing it to Cabanela.

“What’s thiiis?”

Cabanela opened the case, revealing a golden pocket watch attached to a fine chain. He lifted it with a searching look cast Jowd’s way. Was it…?

Jowd’s mouth smiled and there was something like amusement in his eyes, but there was a deeper seriousness as well. “I know you can’t remember it, and I can’t say if it’s the exact same, but I thought to return the favour.”

Cabanela flipped the watch open, revealing a simple clock inside, ticking away the time and that was right. That was good. No need for hidden measures now.

“I don’t need to remember to know what I was thinkin’ baby,” Cabanela replied while his eyes traced over the numbers and elegant hands. Or what that favour was.

No, he’d only needed to read between the lines as Jowd told the story. Maybe he glossed over the finer points—typical—but Cabanela didn’t need his views to read his past self’s viewpoint loud and clear. Well done to him.

And now Jowd returned that gift to him. He closed it again, thumb running gently over the cover. And what a gift it was. It was, perhaps, a quieter and more subdued message—not so needed under desperate circumstances this time—and all the more treasured for it. He exchanged a look with Jowd, one of understanding, and slipped the watch gently into his pocket, relishing the feel of it--lightweight yet comforting.

Alma announced dinner and they started to move to the table when Cabanela veered off to the hall instead. They could hardly leave the other guest out. He quickly came back with a packet, sought out Missile’s dish and brought it to a spot by the table where it was filled with fancy food and a couple treats.

“You spoil him more than Lynne does,” Jowd said.

“It’s a faaamily dinner, baby,” Cabanela replied and spun into his chair while Missile dived in, tail whirling into a rapid blur.

“Look how happy he is!” Kamila chimed in. “Oh, but we can’t give Sissel anything…”

Sissel only meowed in response and jumped onto the chair beside her.

“Kitten makes his own ways.”

“And yet it never stops him eyeing chicken,” Alma said lightly as she took a seat as well. “I can’t imagine where he learned that from.”

Jowd paused with a look shot Sissel’s way. Then he chuckled.

“Care to enlighten us?” Cabanela asked.

“Oh just memories,” Jowd said. “Sissel has had quite the experience with chicken so I've been told.”

They ate an excellent meal—Alma’s cooking was top notch as always—and shared banter and jokes along with translated comments from Sissel. Alma brought out a luxurious cake and they sang Happy Birthday with only a couple pauses of laughter at Missile trying to bark along.

“We’ll have him singin’ and dancin’ yet!” Cabanela crowed and Kamila giggled.

After, Jowd cleaned up while Kamila went upstairs trailed by Missile and Sissel. Alma and Cabanela retired to the sofa to share a glass of their favourite wine and chat amiably until Jowd rejoined them.

“Why don’t you play some muuusic, baby? New album just waitin’ to be tried,” Cabanela said.

They snuggled together on the couch while the melody washed over them. Cabanela was in the middle for once, leaning on Jowd’s shoulder while his fingers entwined with Alma’s. He felt caught somewhere between elation and drowsiness from the best food and the best company, and would be content to remain in this warm and blessed comfort, until Alma gave him a playful nudge.

“I hope you’re not falling asleep already. Unless of course you don’t want to dance.”

Cabanela grinned. “And pass up your offer? Not one for committing a criiime, baby.”

He hopped up, pulling her up with a twirl as he did so and then descended into a bow. “I'm aaall yours.” He glanced up at Jowd from his still bowed position. “Our pretty lady gets the first dance, but don’t think you’re getting out of this.”

 “Your funeral,” Jowd said lightly with a shrug while his beard twitched.

Of course space was limited, but they made full use of it, whirling around each other, switching into a waltz-like step and finished with an exchanged bow and curtsy with all the flourishes. As promised Jowd wasn’t getting out of it and they pulled him in for the second song. And the third and on through the night.

They danced and talked late into the night before dragging Cabanela upstairs with them to collapse into a tired heap—Jowd in the middle and Alma and Cabanela on either side.

“Did you have a good birthday?” Alma asked as she nestled into Jowd’s side.

Cabanela breathed out a contented sigh and rested his head against Jowd’s shoulder. “The beeest. I do love you,” he said softly.

“Then maybe you can do your best impression of a mortal and let us sleep,” Jowd replied with a yawn before his voice also softened. “And we love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Yuletide! I hope I was able to fill some of the cheese quota


End file.
